The concept of “network printing,” in which any of a plurality of computers submit digital data to one of any number of printers over a network, is well known. One recent development in the field of network printing is the provision of web access functionality embedded in each individual printing apparatus, including print servers, so that each printing apparatus on a network can make available a web page, and a user can access the web page to discover or alter conditions of an individual digital printer.
The present invention is a system for discovering all available printers and servers available on the network, and then allowing a user to view a list of the printers and servers on the network. The system of the present invention is automatic to the extent that, according to a preferred embodiment, a user need only perform a single-click operation to freshly discover and troubleshoot all available printers and servers on a network.